Print service guide

Setting up a Sticker Mule–ready file

Print services like Sticker Mule want a specific setup: the right sheet size, a clean cut line, and a bit of bleed. Get those three right and your upload prints exactly as designed.

Make a sticker sheetRead the guide

What a kiss-cut sheet needs

A kiss-cut sticker sheet is one printed sheet where each sticker is cut through the face but not the backing. To print correctly it needs a defined trim size, a separate cut line, and bleed so no white edges appear.

  • ✓Sheet size: a standard 8.5×11 printable area is widely accepted
  • ✓A dedicated cut line (often a magenta/CutContour spot path)
  • ✓Bleed: artwork extends slightly past each cut so edges stay clean
  • ✓Transparent background around each die-cut shape

How Clearly’s output maps to it

Every Clearly sheet is built to this spec, so you don’t rebuild a template by hand. The export bundle contains the pieces a print service expects.

  • ✓8.5×11 landscape sheet at print resolution
  • ✓Vector cut lines — one for the full sheet and one per sticker
  • ✓A layered print-then-cut PDF (artwork layer + cut layer)
  • ✓Transparent PNGs with a clean halo around each piece

Uploading without surprises

Pick the kiss-cut sheet product, upload the file that matches the service’s requested format (usually the layered PDF or the sheet PNG), and confirm the cut line in their preview before you order.

  • ✓Choose “kiss-cut sticker sheet,” not single die-cut, for a sheet
  • ✓Upload the layered PDF when the service supports cut layers
  • ✓Always check the on-screen proof — verify the cut path and bleed
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01What file format does Sticker Mule want for a sticker sheet?+
For a kiss-cut sheet, services typically accept a print-ready PDF or high-resolution PNG with a defined cut line and bleed. Clearly exports a layered print-then-cut PDF plus transparent PNGs and vector cut SVGs, so you can supply whichever the service requests.
02What is a cut line and why does it matter?+
The cut line is the vector path the machine follows to cut each sticker (often a magenta CutContour spot color). Without it, the printer doesn’t know where to cut. Clearly includes a cut line for the whole sheet and one per individual sticker.
03Why do I need bleed on a sticker sheet?+
Bleed is artwork that extends slightly past the cut line so tiny cutting variances don’t leave a white sliver on the edge. Print-ready sticker sheets include bleed around each die-cut shape.
04Does Clearly output work with other print services?+
Yes. The same kiss-cut sheet spec — 8.5×11, vector cut lines, transparent bleed — is what Printful, StickerYou, and most local print shops expect, so the export works across services.
Keep going

Related guides

Kiss-cut vs die-cut

Sheet specs & file formats

Design a sticker sheet layout

Make a sticker sheet

Make your sticker sheet

Pick a style, preview the full 8.5×11 sheet free, and download a print-ready pack with vector cut lines — from $19.99, no subscription.

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